It’s been an uncommonly busy two months. Add to that the miserable cold that doesn’t want to leave. Mix together and you end up (well, I ended up) with overload. That, in turn, caused stress, which made me feel even more unable to cope.

In my practice, I work with a lot of clients who are in perennial overload; they are too busy and, therefore, there is too much going on for any of it to be handled well. This is not a way to get things done. My advice: Simplify. And let go.

Making things more simple means using templates and creating tools that allow you to easily accomplish the things that must get done regularly. Even if regularly is once a year, every year. So your annual mailing and your gala invites should not be recreated every year. Updated, yes. Redone? Not necessary.

Letting go is harder than simplification. It means thinking about what you can stop doing—permanently or just this once. It means not doing something because, really, is may not need to be done.

So there I was, feeling awful and overwhelmed and worried about missing deadlines that couldn’t be missed. What to do?

I made a list. I love making lists. Putting down in writing what is on my plate is the first step to getting a handle on what I actually need to do.

On this list was my newsletter which I usually do monthly. And this blog, which I usually do weekly or even, often, twice a week.

Sick and overburdened as I felt, these both seemed tasks too far. So I decided that I would not do a February newsletter and to skip the week in blogging.

I thought I’d feel guilty, sure I had made a mistake. But honestly, what I felt was relief. I now had a day more to do the work I get paid to do, and to do that work to my normally high expectations.

Too often, when we think about our “to do” list, we only consider those things that we need to accomplish. Sometimes, creating a “not to do” list can be even more effective and let you be ever more efficient in the work you do.

Janet Levine works with nonprofits, taking them from mired to inspired. Learn how you can be inspired at www.janetlevineconsulting.com. While there, do sign up for the newsletter and contact Janet for a free 30-minute consultation.

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About janetlevineconsulting

For over 20 years, Janet Levine has worked for and with nonprofit and educational organizations, helping to grow their advancement programs. Her consulting company, Janet Levine Consulting, serves a wide range of organizations from small, all-volunteer agencies to major national organizations. She regularly teaches courses in non-profit management, fundraising and grant development, both face-to-face and online at http://courses.lmlearningstation.com/.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Janet brings years of experience as a business and sales manager in the for-profit sector. She has an MBA from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.

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Too Busy To Fundraise

Too Busy To Fundraise, a blog from Janet Levine Consulting, offers insights and information on fundraising, marketing and communications for every one who needs to raise funds for a nonprofit organization.

For over thirty years, Janet Levine has served the nonprofit sector, helping organizations to increase their fundraising capacity and create stronger boards. Starting in 1988 as Director of Corporate Relations for USC’s Engineering School, Janet worked as a front line fundraiser, ultimately becoming VP of Advancement at a public university.In 2007, Janet opened her consulting business.Her many clients have ranged from large to small, representing all areas of the sector.Janet Levine Consulting prides itself on taking nonprofits “from mired to inspired,” better able to fulfill their missions.

In addition to her consulting and coaching practice, Janet is a much sought after presenter at conferences, a regular trainer for such organizations as the Center for Nonprofit Management, Academy Go, and the The Nonprofit Partnership.She teaches three online classes for Ed2Go and has been on the faculty at UCLA’s fundraising certificate program.